


Happening

by CorgiFromSpace



Category: Bones (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, with a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-05-15
Updated: 2009-05-15
Packaged: 2018-01-09 05:09:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1141824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorgiFromSpace/pseuds/CorgiFromSpace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>‘The end. Goodbye. Do not pass go; do not collect two hundred dollars.’ Booth and Brennan are breaking apart, but the truth behind why isn't easily unravelled.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happening

Special Agent Seeley Booth sat on the edge of the couch in Dr Lance Sweets’ office. Next to him sat his partner of four years, Dr Temperance Brennan. The two appeared relaxed, but anyone that knew them well could see that there was an invisible tension mounted on the shoulders of the partners. They sat as far apart from each other as possible, turned away from each other, and both seemed to be angry with their counterpart. Dr Sweets sat across from them observing their behaviour.

“Agent Booth, Dr Brennan, you have not been attending our sessions over the last few months,” He said. “Why is that? You understand that the FBI will dissolve your partnership if you don’t come?”

“Sweets, I have been coming to these sessions. It’s Bones here that hasn’t been showing up!” Booth said casting a glare at Brennan.

“Don’t call me Bones!” She protested, returning the glare with an equally as harsh one of her own. “I have not been going out in the field with you for the past three and a half months. Technically, I am not the FBI’s responsibility anymore, so they have no right in making me turn up to these ridiculous meetings!”

“Bones, you’re still my partner! Therefore, you are still the responsibility of the FBI!”

“I told you not to call me Bones! I have not been out in the field for over three months, Booth. As far as I am concerned, I am not your partner!”

“Dr Brennan, are you saying that you no longer wish to be Agent Booth’s partner?” Dr Sweets’ questioned. “For the entire time you’ve been coming to these sessions, you and Agent Booth were adamant that you should remain partners. Now, when you are not even under question, you choose not to be?”

“No, I am not saying that I not longer wish to be Booth’s partner,” Brennan said, and Booth seemed to take a breath of relief, which was taken back when she continued. “I am saying that I am no longer Agent Booth’s partner. Therefore, I am not required to stay here. Goodbye, Dr Sweets, Agent Booth.”

“Bones!” Booth’s voice was pleading, as if begging her not to leave. She paused and looked back. For a moment, her face showed pity, regret, and some similar emotion that neither Booth nor Sweets could identify. But the moment passed, and Brennan swept out of the office, closing the door quietly behind her. “ No.”

The office fell into silence as the FBI agent and the psychologist sorted through the information they had just received. 

“What exactly just happened, Agent Booth?” Sweets asked eventually. “The partnership between you and Dr Brennan was the strongest partnership I’ve ever seen.”

“You know how it is, Sweets,” Booth paused. “A crack appears. At first, you’re concerned. You patch it, a temporary fix, and the problem moves to the back of your mind. Sure, it still exists, but it’s hidden and healed, for the moment. You move on, you forget but eventually the patch falls off. You’ve forgotten it for so long that you think you can ignore it, but it slowly gets worse. It’s like a sweater with a loose thread. The more you ignore the problem, the more the thread is pulled. It unravels,” Booth paused again. “That’s what happened to Dr Brennan and I. We unravelled at the seams. The thread that held us together and kept us together lead to us falling apart.”

“Wow,” Sweets said, stunned. “Agent Booth, that was incredibly poetic. What caused the patch to fall off?”

“It’s a long story, Sweets. I don’t really know how it started. The crack appeared, we tried to hide it. The crack returned and we did our best, but it wasn’t enough. I have to live with that.”

“So there was nothing you could have done to keep your partner?”

“Of course there was! You think I don’t regret my actions? I lost her, Sweets. I lost my Bones. The centre did not hold! I screwed up. The end. Goodbye. Do not pass go; do not collect two hundred dollars. You get it? I cannot fix what I did. Talking won’t help! Analysing won’t help! The only thing that can help me now is as much whiskey as I can get my hands on,” Booth voice faltered and he dropped his head to his hands. “Please, Sweets, just let me be. Please.”

“Booth, there must be something you can tell me that would help me understand what happened.”

“Lance, even if I wanted to tell you what happened, I wouldn’t know where to start. Can you inform Cullen about what’s happened here? I don’t think I’ll be back anytime soon,” Booth stood, and walked out of the office, following the path his par- his former partner had taken just minutes before.

Sweets leaned back in his chair, running his hands through his hair. He had just witnessed the end of one of the best partnerships in the history of the FBI. Somehow, two people who were always in sync had fallen apart, right before his eyes. 

\- - -

There aren’t a lot of things in this world that can cause Dr Temperance Brennan to cry. That much Angela Montenegro had learnt a long time ago. So when she found the anthropologist curled up on the couch of her office in tears, the forensic artist was more than a little worried.

“Bren? Sweetie?” She whispered, crouching down in front of the couch. “What happened?”

“I don’t want to talk about it Ange,” Brennan said, turning her head away from her friends.

“Sweetie, I can’t help if you don’t tell me what’s wrong,” Angela said.

“What makes you think I want help? Why does everyone think that I need help? I can look after my self!” More tears fell down Temperance’s face, and she angrily wiped them away. “I can look after my self. I don’t need you… I don’t need… Booth.”

“Did something happen to Booth?” The behaviour of her friend was increasingly alarming Angela.

“No… yes… I don’t know!” Brennan faced Angela again, and sighed. “I don’t know what happened between us, but I think I just made a very large mistake.”

“Tell me, Bren. It’s better if you do.”

“I ended our partnership,” Temperance all but whispered, her voice catching as she tried to hold back her tears. “I ended the one thing I never wanted to end.”

“Why? What on earth could convince you that you should give up your partnership?”

“It’s a long, painful story, Ange,” Brennan began.

\- - -

Seeley Booth sat on the couch in his apartment, a glass scotch in one hand and his phone in the other. An empty bottle of whiskey sat on the coffee table beside him, and a half full bottle of scotch beside that. All the lights in his apartment were off, leaving the agent in darkness.

Slowly, he drank the liquid in the glass, and put it back on the table. He reached for the bottle, but stopped himself. It wasn’t helping. The numbing fog that alcohol normally brought him was not easing his pain. He had to do something to get his partner back. He needed his best friend. 

He dialled a number on his phone and held it to his ear. He listened as it rang and just as he was about to hang up, the person on the other end of the phone answered.

“Hello?”

Booth said nothing, trying to work up the nerve to do what he knew he had to.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

He took one last breath, and spoke into the mouthpiece of the phone.

“Sweets? It’s Booth. There’s something we should talk about.”

“Agent Booth? This is a surprise. Are you okay?”

“I am now, not sure how I’ll feel in the morning,” Booth laughed at his joke. 

“What is it you want to tell me?”

“How would you like to here the truth about what happened between Bones and I?” Booth said confidently, and Sweets gasped.

“You’re willing to tell me?”

“Hell, I’d tell anyone if I thought they could help me get my partner back!” Booth sighed, and began to recount his story. “It all started about four months ago…”

\- - -

_The Jeffersonian Medical-Legal laboratory was almost empty. Its sole occupant was Dr Brennan. She sat in her office, typing on her computer. Her muse was with her, and nothing could interrupt her thoughts as her fingers flew over the keys, bringing life to the vision in her head. Her breath was calm to her ears and the furious pace with which she had started typing was beginning to fade. The words flowed slower, keeping with the pace of the story, as she poured her heart out for millions to read._

_Hours later she looked up to see her partner asleep on her couch. She sighed, and wondered when he arrived. Silently, she got up and walked over to him. She squatted before him and reached out to shake his shoulder._

_“Booth? Booth, wake up,” She said, and he stirred before falling still again. Brennan smiled and shook him again. “Come on Booth, there’s pie here for you!”_

_Booth sat up with a start his eyes wide, and looked around, before his gaze settled on his partner. “You liar. There’s no pie!”_

_“Sorry, but you wouldn’t wake up. When did you get here?” Brennan said in return, as she stood and helped Booth up._

_“You were on page 18,” Booth said, and walked around to Brennan’s computer. He scrolled down to the last page and sighed. “Page 92. Bones, I’ve been here for hours. Didn’t you notice?”_

_“No, I suppose not. What’s going on?” Brennan asked as she grabbed her coat._

_“Nothing, can’t a guy stop by to see his partner?”_  
\---

“Wait, Bren, Sweetie, you’re saying that this whole thing started when Booth stopped by to see you?” Angela said, trying to sort out how such a normal occurrence could lead to the dissolving of the Booth/Brennan partnership.

“Yes, Ange, I am.”

“But that’s so… normal!” Ange exclaimed.

“Do you want me to continue or not?” Brennan said, growing impatient. At that moment, there was a knock on her door, and Cam poked her head in.

“Dr Brennan, there’s a problem with one of the students on the tour your father was running… He could use your help,” She said, and Brennan got up, silently promising Angela that she would continue soon.

\- - - 

“I know it seems like a strange way for this to start, but that is how it did,” Booth said, and Lance Sweets nodded. He could see that this was just a prelude to the rest of the story, but as Booth began to start again, the shrill ringing of a phone cut through the silence.

“Sorry, Sweets, I’ll have to call you back, that’s my mobile,” Booth said, and ended the conversation. He walked across the room and pulled out the mobile. He opened it and answered. “Hello?”

“Rebecca, is that you?” He said when he heard the voice of his ex on the other end. “What’s wrong?” … “Calm down, I’ll be right there!” 

Booth ignored the pounding pain in his head, and threw on a shirt and shoes, before grabbing his keys and rushing out of the apartment.

\- - -

Brennan bent down over Parker, and tried to calm him down. She’d already called Rebecca, and knew that either she or Booth would be here soon. For now, all she could do was keep the other children away, so that the poor boy wouldn’t be as panicked.

“Parker, you know who I am, don’t you?” She said. The little boy nodded, but said nothing, still struggling to get his breathing under control. Brennan had already sent Ange to get an asthma inhaler to help. She heard the hurried footsteps that she recognised as those of her friend and almost sighed in relief.

“Bren, Sweetie, here’s the puffer,” Angela said, as she crouched beside the two. “Your dad’s got the others under control.”

“Thanks Ange,” Temperance said, and held the inhaler to Parker’s mouth. She pushed the button on top and told him to breath in as deeply as possible. He did, and his breathing eased. They repeated the process and after a few minutes they had it fully under control.

By that time, Parker was curled up in Brennan’s lap, and she was gently stroking the hair on his head. Tears were flowing down the young boy’s cheeks.

“It’s okay, Parker,” Angela whispered. “Your Daddy or Mommy will be here soon. I promise.”

It was as if her words were some sort of signal, because at that moment, the sound of Booth’s footsteps rang through the hallway. Brennan tensed when she realised that this would be the first time that they two had seen each other since the disastrous meeting with Sweets.

Booth didn’t seem to care. He saw his son, looking a little scared, and a little worse for wear, sitting in Brennan’s lap, and was grateful that Parker was okay.

“Hey, Bub, come here!” he said when he got nearer. Parker smiled, and ran over to his father and jumped up into his arms. “What happened?” Booth asked the two women.

“From what I was able to ascertain, Parker went into a mild asthmatic seizure. It’s not overly serious, but you should take him to see a doctor, in case it happens again,” Brennan said, and handed Booth the inhaler, before moving back away from him. She was careful not to let her hand brush against Booth’s.

“Thank you, Dr Brennan. See you later sometime, Ange,” Booth said, and Angela nodded, knowing that that was Booth’s way of saying we need to talk. Parker waved to both women, before his father carried him out of the museum.

\- - -

Brennan was in her office working on a report for an anthropology magazine when her phone rang. She sighed, and pressed the accept button.

“Brennan.” 

“Dr Tempe?” A young boy’s voice said. Brennan pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at the caller ID. It was Booth’s. 

“Parker? Are you okay?” She asked, now that she knew who was on the other end of the phone. Parker told her he was fine. “Why are you calling me?”

“Daddy said to thank you. He said it was very kind of you to help me today.”

“Did your daddy take you to the doctor?” Temperance asked, concerned about the boy’s health.

“Yep. But the doctor wasn’t as nice as you, Dr Tempe,” Parker replied. “He said I had asthma.”

“That’s what I thought. I’m glad you are feeling better now Parker,” Through the phone she heard a deeper voice, and immediately knew it was Booth. She groaned inwardly. 

“Tempe, Daddy wants to talk to you now. Thank you. Bye.” There was a short shuffle before Booth spoke.

“I know you probably don’t want to hear my voice right now, Dr Brennan but I don’t think I thanked you well enough for helping Parker. So thank you, once again.”

“You’re welcome, Agent Booth. We were good friends, there’s no need for our current disagreement to come between the welfare of a child, besides, I care about Parker,” Almost too much.

“I agree,” Booth said. There was a silence stretched over the phone line, before he spoke again. “Do you think that this would have happened even if I had have done things differently?” There was desperation in his voice, and Brennan almost cracked. However, she stayed strong.

“You said it yourself, Booth, everything happens eventually,” Brennan said. “It’s time we woke up to our realities, our separate realities. Please, don’t make this any harder than it is…” Brennan hung up then, knowing that if she continued to speak, she would have given in and she has promised herself that she wouldn’t.

Dr Temperance Brennan did not break her promises.

\- - -

Booth held the phone in his hand for a few moments, as he came to terms with the fact the Brennan had always thought they this would happen. Booth himself had always hoped for a more positive outcome.

With a sigh, he opened the phone up and dialled Angela’s number.

“Angela Montenegro,” Was the chirpy greeting that met him when the ringing ended.

“Wow, Angela. Are you always so damn happy?” Booth said tiredly.

“Booth? I’m guessing now is the ‘later’ you mentioned?” Angela asked, and received an affirmative grunt in reply. “The diner, in 10?”

“No, she might see us. There’s a place called Joe’s about a block from here. I’ll drop Parker home and meet you there. Give me about 20 minutes, okay?” Booth said, already locking his front door and steering Parker towards the stairs. 

“Sure,” Ange said, waiting a beat before continuing. “Booth, whatever happened, I’m sure you can fix it.”

“I’ll talk to you in 20, Angie,” Booth muttered before shutting his phone. He lifted his son to his hip, and smiled at the boy. “You really like Dr Brennan, don’t you?” He asked.

Parker nodded. “She’s nice. She made me feel better.”

“Yeah. She did the same for me, Bud. She did the same for me.” Booth said absently as the elevator arrived in the lobby. He carried his son out to the SUV, and climbed in. 

He hoped his talk with Angela would do some good.

\- - -

_Booth and Brennan were sitting in the diner, a plate of their usual food on the table in front of them. The conversation was light - Booth was sharing tales of Parkers exploits with his partner._

_Brennan’s phone rung in the middle of their conversation, and she excused herself to answer it. Booth watched her from were he sat, picking at his pie._

_Brennan’s face changed from pleasantry to shock, to anger to despair within moments of the conversation. Her eyes flicked to her partner, who gave her a questioning look, before they widened, and scanned the room. Fear shone in her actions as she hung up the phone, and carefully made her way back to the table, her vision darting around the room as she walked._

_“What’s up Bones?” Booth asked as she sat down. Brennan opened her mouth to answer, before quickly shutting it again, and shaking her head._

_“Nothing Booth. I just wasn’t expecting that call. What were you saying about Parker?” She said, her eyes not meeting with those of her partner. Booth knew she was lying, but he also knew better than to poke into Brennan’s business._

_“Bones, you like Parker, don’t you?” He asked, out of the blue._

_“Of course, Booth. He’s your son,” Brennan replied, not at all put off._

_“Would you like him if he wasn’t my son?”_

_“Booth, I highly doubt that Parker isn’t your child!”_

_“That isn’t what I meant.” Booth sighed exasperated. “Bones, if something was to happen to Rebecca, and I … wasn’t around to look after Parker… I would trust you to look after him my place. Would you do that for me?”_

_“Booth, you’re not going anywhere… are you?” Brennan was growing more and more confused._

_“No, but what if someday I do have to?” Brennan, tilted her head to one side, and contemplated the idea._

_“Of course I would look after Parker for you Booth,” She said eventually. “Although, I can’t foresee an event that would make you unable to…”_

_“You never know Bones, you never know…” Booth replied, and threw some bills on the table to cover their meal. Brennan looked at the notes, sighed, and stood. At first, Booth expected her to comment on his alpha-male tendencies, or at least put down some of her own bills, but she made no move to do so._

_Mentally shrugging, Booth decided to leave it be. He didn’t mind being able to pay for Bones’ meal, even though he knew she’d demand that she paid the next time. He placed his hand on the small of her back, and gently guided her towards the door…_

\- - -

“That’s it?” Angela asked, sipping coffee from ‘Joe’s’. She had to admit that she didn’t like the place anywhere near as much as the diner. “That’s all that happened?”

“Yep. The next day, Bones was distant and didn’t want to come out in the field with me,” Booth said, glad that Angela now knew the story. He needed someone on his side.

“But I don’t get it!” Ange exclaimed. “That day could have been any day for the two of you! There was nothing out of the ordinary… except the phone call. Do you think that had anything to do with it?”

“I’ve thought of it, Ange. I thought that maybe someone was threatening her, but she would have told me, wouldn’t she?” Booth said, dropping his hands to his head. 

“Booth, I understand, okay?” Angela reached across the table and grabbed one of Booth hands in her own. “Bren, we love her, we do, but you don’t have to beat yourself up about this. You can’t reverse time, and even if you could, it may not make a difference. You know how it goes, right?”

Booth shook his head, looking up to meet Angela’s eyes.

“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why they call it the present.” She grinned at Booth, who was laughing. “Booth, go see her. Talk to her. Who cares about tomorrow? You have today, alright?”

“Angela Montenegro, you give awful advice. I’ve tried talking,” Booth said.

“Then forget her. She’s yesterday. If she’s messed up, then she’s messed up,” Ange paused. “Booth, she’ll come back. I know it.”

A single tear slipped down Booth’s cheek as he whispered “I hope so…”

\- - -

_“Dr Brennan, I presume,” The voice on the other end of the line spoke smugly. “I believe you are a forensic anthropologist?”_

_“Yes…” Brennan replied, curiosity spiking in her mind._

_“Ah, excellent,” The voice said. “I believe you know a Seeley Booth? In fact, aren’t you having coffee with him right now?”_

_Brennan spun around, hoping to see whomever it was that was calling her. When she saw no one else on the phone, she frowned. “What do you want?”_

_“What do I want? Well, Dr Brennan, I want a lot of things. But what you are going to do for me is terminate your partnership with Agent Booth,” Brennan’s eyes widened, and she once again looked around the diner._

_“Why do want that?” She asked, dreading the answer. She didn’t want to give up her partnership for anything._

_“Again, the question is actually why are you going to terminate the partnership. I believe you’ve met Parker Booth?”_

_“No! You wouldn’t dare touch him!” Brennan hissed._

_“Of course not! Not unless you refuse to terminate the partnership,” There was a chuckle. “You have 24 hours to make up your mind. Don’t call me, I’ll call you. Goodbye, Dr Brennan.”_

_Brennan held the silent phone to her ear for a few more minutes, before shutting it, and returning to her seat, looking for the caller as she walked. Booth smiled at her when she sat down, and she was immediately torn in two. She waved off Booth’s questions and returned to her salad, until Booth spoke again._

_“Bones, you like Parker, don’t you?” He asked, out of the blue._

_“Of course, Booth. He’s your son,” Brennan replied, her heart aching as she thought of the decision she had to make._

_“Would you like him if he wasn’t my son?”_

_“Booth, I highly doubt that Parker isn’t your child!”_

_“That isn’t what I meant.” Booth sighed exasperated. “Bones, if something was to happen to Rebecca, and I … wasn’t around to look after Parker… I would trust you to look after him my place. Would you do that for me?”_

_“Booth, you’re not going anywhere… are you?” Brennan was scared about where the conversation was heading, but knew she’d agree._

_“No, but what if someday I do have to?” Booth’s eyes were pleading with Brennan, and she had no choice._

_“Of course I would look after Parker for you Booth,” She said her heart breaking. “Although, I can’t foresee an event that would make you unable to…”_

_“You never know Bones, you never know…” Booth replied. Brennan watched as he threw down some bills. She felt tempted to make a comment on his alpha male tendencies, but didn’t, knowing that this could be their last meal at the diner together._

\- - -

Brennan’s phone was ringing. She knew who it was, and yet terror still flooded through her body. What if he hurt Parker?

“Brennan.” She answered.

“Dr Brennan,” was the curt reply. “I heard that you finally terminated the partnership permanently. Congratulations. It only took you four months. Or was it my last package that convinced you?”

“Go to hell, ‘D’,” Brennan said. She had received the package, which contained photographs of Parker, and more threats towards him. 

“But my good doctor, you don’t believe in hell!” The voice that was known only as ‘D’ remarked snidely.

“No, but there must be some where for you to rot forever!” She spat back. She heard the sinister chuckle once again, and knew it would plague her nightmares.

“I have something else for you to consider, dearest Temperance,” ‘D’ said. “Do not have any contact with Booth, or Parker’s life will be in just as much danger. Goodbye.” The call was disconnected, and Brennan breathed out.

She sat back down on her couch, and loaded her computer. She typed up a brief resignation letter and emailed it to Cam. She closed the laptop, and sat back. Tears began streaming down her cheeks as she thought of everything she had lost.

She had lost a job she loved, a partner, a friend, a rock, a support system and the only person she could ever really love. Yet she knew if she was given the choice again, she would make the same decisions. Booth could live without her, but if something were to happen to Parker, she knew he would be distraught. She wouldn’t break her promise.

Drying her eyes, she walked to her bedroom and grabbed a suitcase. She packed as many clothes into it as possible, and placed it by the door. Silently, she walked around the room, picking up various photos and trinkets along the way. Among these were photographs of her and Booth, her and Angela, her and her team and the two gifts Booth had given her –Jasper and Brainy Smurf. She carefully placed them into a rucksack and placed them on top of the suitcase. 

Brennan walked into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of vodka, and poured herself a glass. She swallowed it, and collapsed to the ground, sobbing. She was ready to leave everything behind her. If only she could.

A pounding on the door startled Brennan out of her sleep. Her neck ached and she soon discovered that she was still lying on the kitchen floor. Groaning, she climbed to her feet, using the island to hold her weight. 

The pounding on the door continued, and Brennan stretched as she walked over to open it. She passed a mirror on the way, and took some time to fix her hair and clothes so she didn’t scare her guest.

When she did open the door, she was surprised to see Booth there, until the memory of what had transpired settled on her alcohol-numbed mind. Brennan struggled to keep the tears back, and instead glared at Booth.

“What are you doing here?” She demanded, and Booth sighed.

“Can I at least come in before you start harassing me?” He asked, and Brennan reluctantly moved aside. Booth walked into her living room, and took a seat on the sofa. Following his lead, Brennan walked into the room, but chose to sit on the armchair instead.

“Listen, Booth, you can’t stay long, I’ve have to leave soon…” Brennan began, but Booth held up a hand to silence her.

“Dr Brennan, I was told this morning that you have left the Jeffersonian Institute. Why? You love your work,” Booth had a right to know, and Temperance knew it. She sighed.

“I can’t do it anymore, Booth. The death, the tension, the crime, it’s eating away at me. I believe I stated that in my resignation letter,” She said, and Booth nodded. She felt horrible for lying to him, but she really had no choice.

“So it’s just time to throw in the hat, Bones?” Booth asked, and Brennan winced at the nickname. “I’m not buying it. I know you too well for that!”

“Booth, I need you to accept this, please. Let it go. Please,” Brennan’s eyes were filling up. 

“I can’t Bones! I can’t just let you go!” Booth stood and crossed over to where she was sitting and bent down. He raised a hand and gently stroked her cheek “ Bones, what happened?”

Brennan pulled away, her face burning from the contact. She stood, and pushed Booth backward.

“Leave. Please. I can’t, Booth, I can’t. Just go,” She whispered as she pushed him out the door. “Let this go.”

“ Bones…” Booth pleaded, but she shook her head, and closed the door, hoping ‘D’ didn’t know that Booth had visited. He would, though, and she’d be forced to give up something else.

\- - - 

Booth ran his hand down the panelling of the door, before turning and heading back to the elevator. A pale skinned man walked out, and smiled at him.

“Agent Booth, good to see you. Have you been to see Dr Brennan?” He said, his accent sounding slightly British. Booth nodded, not questioning how he knew the man, writing him off as one of Brennan’s neighbours who had seen him around.

The metal doors slid shut and the whirring mechanics of the elevator droned out the empty ringing inside Booth’s head. His Bones was gone, and he wasn’t allowed to know why. He knew he would come back later and try to talk to her again.

\- - -

A light tap on her door alerted Brennan to her fears. It was not the impatient knock of Booth’s hand, nor the confident knock from Angela’s. It reminded her almost of ‘D’. That was when Brennan realised that she was doomed.

Giving in to her fate, she opened the door. A pale young man stood before her, his grin seeming sinister.

“Dr Brennan, I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t see Agent Booth again? Oh well, you had it coming,” He said, and in one swift movement brought a cloth over her mouth.

Brennan felt the darkness pulling her in, and gladly let it take her, sending out a message as she let go. 

‘Booth, at least I can know that I kept my promise. Parker is safe. Goodbye.’

\- - - 

“Brennan, open up!” Booth said, growing impatient. He had been knocking on the door for at least ten minutes. When he still received no answer, he sighed, and pulled out his spare key. He would have thought that Brennan would have demanded he return it when this all began, but she didn’t.

The apartment was as neat as always, but something was off. There was a yellow envelope on the coffee table that hadn’t been there when Booth stopped around just hours before. Cautiously, he bent down and tipped it over so the contents fell out. He was shocked by what was revealed.

Dozen’s of photographs spilled out onto the table. There were red circles around people in all of them. When he bent down to get a closer look, Booth saw that many of the photographs had Parker in them, with a thick red circle drawn around him. Some of the photographs were of Brennan and him, and in all those photographs, there was a large, scratchy cross hastily drawn over Booths face, and in some there was a line between the partners.

As well as the photographs, several letters fell out. All were styled in the usual criminal fashion- letters cut out from newspapers and magazines glued down onto a blank sheet of paper. However, unlike most criminal notes, the criminal had taken great care to only use capitals when capitals where needed and had punctuation marks when they were called for. If Booth weren’t so worried, he would have marvelled at the articulation of the letter.

_Stay away from Agent Booth, Dr Brennan, or I’ll be forced to take action we will both regret. Parker Booth is seven, isn’t he? Seeley would be so devastated if something were to happen.  
‘D’_

_Be careful, my dear doctor… I want your partnership ended. You’ve stayed away, but that isn’t enough anymore. I hear you have a pair of young nieces…  
‘D’_

Booth looked through the pictures again, and this time noticed that several had pictures of Hayley and Emma. Booth frowned, and flicked open his cell phone. He called in a team to secure the apartment, and called the squints in to gather what ever they could.

Picking up the envelope again, Booth noticed that it had ‘evidence’ stamped on the front. Brennan had clearly been compiling all the information she had on the mysterious ‘D’. The action made Booth smile. It was something he would only expect from his partner.

A smaller, white envelope sat underneath the yellow one. Printed in Brennan’s neat handwriting was Booth’s name. He picked it up, and pulled out a letter.

_Booth,  
I know you’ve been blaming yourself for the end of our partnership. I tried to get you to blame me, but you could never do that. You would never accept that I have caused you pain._

_The truth is, it was neither my fault, nor yours. It was ‘D’s. You must have found my evidence against him by now, so you must know who he is, and what he’s done. I promised you I would look after Parker, Booth. It never once crossed my mind to not do as ‘D’ told me too once I realised that Parker was in danger._

_There were times that I just wanted to come clean (I believe that’s the saying) and tell you that someone was threatening me. I almost did. ‘D’ always knew. I just hope that Parker is safe now that you are reading this._

_‘D’ will eventually come for me. I know that all this taunting me is only a preliminary step. Don’t blame yourself, just find him, and make him pay. Please._

_I am scared, Booth, but every time he calls, my resolve strengthens. Take care of the squints,  
Bones._

There was a knock on the door as Booth finished reading. Walking over to answer it, Booth noticed his partners cell phone. He picked it up, and slipped it into his pocket.

The squints came inside at that moment, tired of waiting for Booth to answer the door. Angela was in tears, and the rest of them weren’t much better. Booth pointed to the table and there were gasps of shock when it became apparent what had happened.

“This ‘D’ person must have kidnapped her!” Hodgins said. Booth nodded, and pulled out the phone.

“Angela, could you see if there are any recent calls from one number that seem suspicious to you? The number will be unfamiliar,” He said, before rushing off to inform the team from the FBI on the situation.

At that moment, the cell began ringing. Alarmed, Ange called Booth, who waved at one of the tech’s to get a trace on the number. Carefully, he opened the phone, and pressed accept.

“Agent Booth…” The voice on the other end said curiously. Booth clicked the speaker button so the entire room could hear. The squints huddled closer to him, and everyone was listening intently.

“Where is she?” Booth demanded. A sinister chuckle filled the room.

“Ah, just as direct as your dear partner. Well, your former partner,” ‘D’ said. “She’s still alive, don’t worry. In a lot of pain, but alive. I’m not sure how long that will last, but she broke the rules.”

“I swear, when I find you, you are going to regret this!” Booth growled. There was a ping in the background, but luckily the phone didn’t pick up the sound. “I want to talk to her.”

“As you wish, Agent Booth. It’s incredible. Even after everything that she did, you still care for the woman. Well, here she is.” 

“Booth? Booth?” Brennan’s voice was heavy, and she was clearly in pain.

“I’m gonna get you out, Bones, I promise,” Booth said. Brennan cried out in pain, and the squints winced, feeling the pain for her.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Booth.” She continued. “It’s okay if you don’t. Parker’s safe now, Hayley and Emma are safe now. You’re safe now. Bye, Booth.”

“No! Bones! Bones?” Coughs rang out through the room, followed by a familiar laugh.

“Oh my, Agent Booth. It seems Dr Brennan was worse off than I thought. She’s unconscious.” ‘D’s taunting ended abruptly, replaced with the steady beeping of the dial tone.

“Tell me you got a trace on that!” Booth said, turning to the techs. One nodded.

“It’s a pretty wide area, but you might be able to narrow it down.” She said, passing a printout to the waiting agent. Booth thanked her.

“Hodgins, see if you can find a bug or something that can help me narrow this down. Angela, go through the letters, see if he says anything that could give him away. Cam, you… Go do something that will help, okay?”

Cam almost laughed at Booth’s attempt to find her something to do. She nodded at the others before pulling out her phone.

“I’ll call Max and Russ,” She said. 

“Don’t mention the threats to Hayley or Emma, we don’t want to worry them,” Booth said in way of agreement. He just hoped that Brennan would be okay.

\- - -

“As you wish, Agent Booth. It’s incredible. Even after everything that she did, you still care for the woman. Well, here she is.” The voice of her captor pulled Brennan into consciousness. He bent down to her level, and held out a phone. She turned her head, and the phone was placed beside her ear.

“Booth? Booth?” Brennan whispered, her throat dry and her body overcome by pain.

“I’m gonna get you out, Bones, I promise,” Booth said. Brennan tried to sit up, but pain shot through her ribs and spine, forcing her to cry out. She lay back down carefully.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Booth.” She said. The darkness was clouding her vision and she knew she wouldn’t remain awake much longer. Knowing the end was coming closer she tried to reassure her partner. “It’s okay if you don’t. Parker’s safe now, Hayley and Emma are safe now. You’re safe now. Bye, Booth.”

“No! Bones! Bones?” Booth’s voice was drowned out by coughs as Brennan slipped into unconsciousness once more. She was almost glad that the last thing she heard was her partner’s voice…

\- - -

The first thing that entered Brennan’s mind as she regained consciousness was ‘Does it always hurt this much?’ Then she remembered were she was and seconds later remembered how much pain she was in.

Focusing on each injury was difficult, but she eventually managed to compose a list of her injuries: broken left radius, fractured clavicle on the left side, broken or cracked ribs on the left side, fractured left tibia, fractured or broken tarsals on the left and severe bruising on the left temporal bone, left zygomatic bone and mandible. 

Someone wanted her in a lot of pain, and had gone to extreme lengths to make sure she was in pain. From the position of the injuries, Brennan was able to predict that she was kicked or beaten repeatedly on her left side, possibly while lying in the foetal position on her right.

Opening her eyes, Brennan surveyed the room. She was lying on a metal table, strapped down with a band around each wrist and one around her ankles. The roof was high, and metal framework crisscrossed diagonally in a support network. The walls were concrete, and the floor was dusty.

Warehouse. Her mind called, and Brennan almost laughed. It seemed like every villain had a fondness for warehouses. Casting her gaze to the box of crates to her right, she could see that she was in an old wheat storage warehouse. Stamped onto the sides of the crate were the words ’Sunshine Wheat and Sugar’.

Footsteps echoed throughout the room, and Brennan knew it was ‘D’. Luckily, she could feel unconsciousness coming. ‘D’ seemed like the kind of sociopath who would like his victim to be awake when he killed them.

_I’m going to die._ It finally hit Temperance that she had said her last words to her loved ones. Once again the darkness pulled her under, and she almost wished she wouldn’t wake up.

\- - -

“Booth! I’ve got something!” Hodgins called and Booth shot to his feet. For the past hour, he’d been waiting for the squints to gather their information from whatever they had. 

“What is it?” He said, and Hodgins pointed to the screen beside them.

“This is a rare type of mould that only grows on unprocessed wheat,” He said. He pointed to another picture on the same screen. “That is a type of mould grown on unprocessed sugarcane. Now, in the area the FBI were able to trace the call to, three warehouses were once owned by the ‘Sunshine What and Sugar’ company. The company deals with unprocessed sugarcane and wheat.”

“So Bones could be in one of those three warehouses?” Booth asked, pulling out the map. “Where are they?” Hodgins bit his lip for a second before circling the three buildings. They were all at least a mile apart, on a busy road. “There’s no way I can check all three of those before ‘D’ does something to Bones! Can you be anymore specific?”

“Sorry man, but that’s as far as the bugs and slime will get you. I can’t be of anymore help.” Hodgins said sorrowfully, placing a hand on the agents shoulder. Booth shot him a glare and he carefully removed the hand.

“I think I can help with that!” Angela said, as she bounded up the platform stairs. She spread the letters she was holding out on the unused examination table and pointed to a piece of typing from each.

“What exactly is that meant to tell us, Angela?” Booth asked, and the artist sighed.

“Okay, most letters made in this format use magazine prints more than newspaper’s, but not this one. I’m guessing that’s for one of two reasons. Reason one- newspapers are cheaper or reason two- it’s easier to get non capital letters from a newspaper. Anyway, I was going over the letters and noticed something. Each piece of newspaper typing is identical.”

“How does that help?”

“That part doesn’t, it’s the next bit that does. I ran a search for the font used on the typing. It came back as Bauhaus 93. Most newspapers use Times, Times New Roman or Verdana, only one newspaper in the DC area uses Bauhaus. That paper delivers to the streets around here,” She pointed to a region on the map. 

“And one of our warehouses is in that area. Angela, you are a genius!” Booth hugged the surprised woman, before grabbing out his phone. “I need back up to 184 Crescent Place, at the old Sunshine Wheat and Sugar warehouse, ASAP.”

“Booth?” Angela called, as the agent was halfway out the door. “Be careful, and bring her back.”

Booth nodded, before spinning around and leaving the lab. Angela breathed out and went to tell Cam where Booth was going.

\- - - 

Car swarmed around the abandoned Sunshine warehouse. Booth stood in front of the specially trained FBI tactical team, giving them a basic overview of the situation and the plan. He was taking point; the other agents would follow him in and secure the location. A second team would enter at the same time as him from the back entrance. Several agents would remain outside, in case ‘D’ made a run for it.

“Everyone in position?” Booth asked through his radio when they were finally ready to enter. He heard several affirmatives in reply. “Okay, move in.”

Carefully, he pried the door open, and gave the room a thorough scan before moving in. The air was thick and musty and the dust on the floor muffled the agents’ footsteps as they spread out. Booth held his gun at the ready, and the others were following his example. Stealthily, he crept forward, and entered another room.

From there he could hear muffled sounds, leading him to believe he was close to Brennan’s position. As he followed the maze of rooms throughout the complex, he was mentally preparing himself for what was waiting when he found her.

The sounds were more distinguishable now and Booth could easily make out a man’s voice. He recognised the voice and almost punched himself when he realised that it was the man he had met on the elevator after visiting Brennan. He could have stopped this from happening if he had have waited just a few more minutes.

“Dr Brennan, I thought you’d be stronger than that. You only have a broken arm, a fractured collarbone, cracked ribs, a fractured leg, a fractured ankle and a couple of bruises. Buck up.” The snide voice cut through Booth’s self-hatred, and morphed it into hatred against the man who had hurt his Bones. Nodding at the tactical team, Booth kicked in the door.

“Back away from her now!” He called upon seeing ‘D’ with a knife poised over his partner’s battered body. “Drop the knife, or I’ll be forced to put a bullet through your head! I won’t regret it! Move away, NOW!”

‘D’ backed away, a look of surprise on his face. He had planned the whole thing. Booth wouldn’t know where he was, he couldn’t. How could he? The team can’t be that good!

“How? How did you find me?” He said, dropping the knife. “Why did you find me? I can’t have underestimated you, I’ve been planning this for years!”

“Well, you’ll have years to regret it too. You underestimated the lengths we would go to, to save one of our friends. And you underestimated me. You thought that just because Bones pushed me away, I’d stay away. You thought that Bones is like other people, who would destroy your letters. She kept them. She kept everything. And that lead us to you.”

“I won’t fail!” ‘D’ cried, pulling a gun from his pocket and aiming it at Brennan. Without a moment’s hesitation, Booth shot the man straight through the heart. The gun fell limply from ‘D’s hand, and clattered on the ground. 

Booth didn’t care. He’d already rushed to his partner, and undone the restraints around her hands and feet. Gently, he stroked her cheek, calling for her to wake up.

“Bones?” He whispered, bending closer to her. “Bones wake up. It’s me.”

“Booth?” Brennan whispered in return, her throat too dry to say much. “I’m sorry.”

“I know, Bones. Hey, I know.” Booth whispered back. She whimpered, and Booth pulled back, casting a quick glance over her body, noting the various injuries. “What hurts, Bones?”

“Everything!” Temperance coughed, wincing as her ribs jerked. “Mostly my left side. I think I was kicked or beaten when I was unconscious.”

“You need a hospital, Bones,” Booth said. “You can’t walk, can you?”

“No,” She murmured. He hesitated momentarily before bending down and sweeping Brennan into his arms, careful to keep her left side away from his body. She slid her right arm around his neck; the other remained cradled in her lap. Booth stood up slowly and carried Brennan out of the warehouse. 

EMT’s swarmed around them when they emerged and Booth reluctantly released his grip on Brennan while they took her to the ambulance and went to debrief the squints and Cullen.

“We got an ID off ‘D’. He’s real name is Stuart Bronson. He was admitted to an institute a few years ago after being diagnosed as clinically insane,” Agent Thompson said, joining Booth in debriefing the deputy director. Cullen nodded and turned to Booth.

“Booth, I’m guessing you’ll want to join Dr Brennan on the ambulance. Go,” He said, and Booth thanked him. He rushed over to join Brennan, grabbing her hand as the EMT’s closed the door.

\- - -

Hours later, the partners were sitting in a hospital room. The doctors wanted to keep Brennan overnight, due the extent of her injuries. Booth had chosen to stay with her. The room seemed filled with tension and neither Booth nor Brennan was willing to talk. 

They sat in silence for an hour, longer then they had been together since the meeting with Sweets days before. Booth was the first to break the silence.

“Bones, I want to thank you for what you did for me,” He said, and Brennan turned to face him.

“How can you thank me? I hurt you. I could see it!”

“You did it to save my son. That I am thankful for.” Booth reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently. “I wish you had have told me, but I know why you didn’t.”

“I want to thank you too, Booth. You came, even though I was awful to you.” Brennan closed her eyes, her mind flashing back to the room. Booth noticed, and squeezed her hand again.

“I’ll always come for you, Bones,” he whispered, kissing her head. “No matter what you say or do, I’ll be there.”

“Thank you, Booth,” Brennan whispered back. Both knew that it was for more than just what he had done. Silence fell on the two once more, but neither cared. It was comfortable between them again.

Temperance Brennan stepped off the plane, and entered the busy airport. It had been a year since she had last set foot in DC, and she was glad to be back.

After everything that had happened the year before, Cam had requested that Brennan took a sabbatical. What had started as a three-month dig in South Africa had turned into a tour of various anthropological sites around the continent, which had stretched on longer than anyone had expected.

The trip allowed Brennan to come to terms with everything she had been feeling over the months. Without realising it, she had accepted the fact that she loved Booth, as more than just a partner or friend. 

She hadn’t spoke to him at all during the time she had been away. Communication was difficult, and the few times that she was able to call home, she called Angela. Now, walking down the tunnel into the airport, Brennan thought back to the last time she had seen Booth.

\- - -

_Brennan stood in before her team, waving goodbye. Booth stood with them, his eyes dark and clouded, not really focused on the scene before him. Without saying a word, he pulled Brennan into a hug, holding her as close as possible, as if afraid to let go._

_She was stiff at first, surprised by her partner’s actions, but she was soon relaxed in his arms. She listened as he murmured to her._

_“I’ll miss you Bones,” He said, unknowingly pulling at Brennan’s heart. “Things will be back to normal soon, I promise. I know that won’t make you stay though…”_

_That was when Brennan realised that Booth though she was leaving because of him. He’d been almost shy since she got out of the hospital, and now that she was leaving, she noticed that he was more apprehensive._

_“Don’t worry Booth,” She whispered back to him, pulling back so she could look into his eyes. “I’ll be back soon. I’ll miss you too.” Booth smiled back at her, his fears allayed. In one smooth move, he bent down and kissed her lightly. It lasted only a few seconds, but it left Brennan breathless._

_With a final wave to her team, Brennan boarded the plane._

\- - -

Now she was back, and she could get back to doing what she loved –spending time with Booth, and Parker when she could. The thought brought a smile to her face, before a grimace wiped it away. Even though a year had past, her ribs were still painful in the cold, and it was snowing in DC.

Her smile returned quickly though, as she saw Booth leaning against the wall opposite to her. She knew he’d been waiting for her to return.

“Dr Brennan,” He said in greeting, as he took her carry on bag from her. At first, Brennan was shocked by the use of her title, but she soon picked up on the glint of mischief in Booth’s eyes.

“Agent Booth,” she said, playing along. For a few seconds, the two were silent, until Booth’s grin broke out and he swept Brennan into a hug.

“God, Bones, why didn’t you call me?” He said, wrapping his arms around her waist. She ran her hands up his chest, and wrapped them around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder, revelling in his familiar smell.

“Missed you, Booth,” She mumbled, and felt him chuckle. It was nice to hear him laugh. He hadn’t since ‘D’ had barged into their life. Stuart Bronson, Brennan corrected herself. ‘D’ still terrified her, but giving him an identity solidified the fact that he had died in her mind.

“You too, Bones. I always miss you,” He replied, pulling back slightly. Tears filled Brennan’s eyes, but they were tears of happiness. Booth ran a thumb over cheek, wiping away the salty drops. He kissed away the trails they had left, and trailed his lips slowly down to Brennan’s own.

The kiss was sweet, and everything that both partners wanted. They were relieved to know that they could return to the way they had been. When they finally broke apart, Brennan leant her head on Booth’s chest.

“How’s Parker?” She asked, and the silence returned. For a moment, Brennan panicked, thinking something might have happened to the boy. She moved back, and brought a hand up to caress Booth’s cheek, returning his focus to her. “Booth?”

“Sorry Bones,” Booth said, shaking his head lightly. He moved Temperance’s head back to his chest, where his heartbeat soothed her. “Parker’s great. Everything is great. I was just thinking again how lucky I am to have someone like you to look after him, if something was to happen to me.”

“Booth, we both know where that conversation lead us last time,” Brennan said. Booth was silent momentarily, before he smiled.

“It lead us here, Bones. It lead us to a place where I can do this,” And with that, he dipped his head, and kissed his Bones with as much passion as he could. All thoughts of the pain that had dominated their actions was gone, and it was almost as if it had never happened.

\- - -

Brennan had demanded that she was taken back to the Jeffersonian before going home, and Booth was happy to agree. The lab had seemed empty without her and he knew that once she got back, the lab would come to life again. As they walked hand in hand along the wide hallways that lead to the lab, Booth already felt happier.

Angela descended upon the couple within moments of them entering. Beaming smiles lit up the faces of the entire team, and the slight gloom that surrounded them was banished instantly. One by one, the squints greeted their returning colleague, and neither Booth nor Brennan was surprised to see that Sweets had been waiting for their return as well. 

“Bren, sweetie, I’m so glad you’re back!” Angela gushed, dragging Brennan away from Booth to her office so they could catch up. Booth wasn’t surprised. He walked towards the platform, and swiped his card, granting access.

From where he stood, he could see the whole lab. Angela painting, Hodgins and Zack working on an experiment, Cam in her office busy running things. Everyone was where they were supposed to be. Brennan came and stood beside him, in the centre of the lab.

“We are the centre,” She said, knowing as well as he did what his thoughts were.

“And the centre has held,” He replied. 

_Everything happens eventually, even the bad things. We just have to wait and try to ride out the storm. Wake up to our realities, accept painful truths and let go, so our hurt can be measured. Hidden away in the dark, death leads to comfort. The centre has held._


End file.
